pepper and cook, stirring,
for about 5-6 min, until the
onion is softening and turning
translucent. Add the garlic and
cook for another couple of
minutes, then add the tomato
puree, turn up the heat slightly
and stir to coat the other
ingredients. Cook for 2 min
or so, stirring every so often.04 Pour over the tinned
tomatoes and use a wooden
spoon to scrape up any crust
from the pan, then cook for a
few more minutes, crushing
the tomatoes into the other
ingredients and minimising
any chunks. Cook the
tomatoes for a good 2-3 min
more, to reduce them, then
pour in the vodka and cook
off the alcohol.WHAT’S IN A SHAPE?
You can of course use
any shaped pasta with any
sauce, but Italians like to
follow certain rules, pairing
larger shapes with thicker
sauces and thinner shapes
with light sauces. So
spaghetti tends to be used
with seafood; tagliatelle,
pappardelle and fettuccine
with meaty sauces. Pasta
shells such as conchiglie
are good for heavy sauces
that would otherwise slip
off, while twisted fusilli
helps smooth sauces cling
to the pasta. Tubes such as
penne and macaroni are
best for vegetable and
baked cheese dishes.Creamy tomato
and saffron
rigatoni with
black pepper
almonds
I love to add an element of
crunch to rich and creamy pasta
dishes, to stop them feeling
too one-note. The almonds
also bring a sticky sweetness,
tempered by the warmth from
the pepper, that cuts through
the rich tomato and saffron
sauce. They are an extra,
though, and the tomato sauce
on its own is enough of a meal
if you don’t have almonds about
your person or kitchen.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the black pepper almonds
- 60g skin-on whole almonds
- Olive oil
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- A good pinch of dried sage,
thyme or oregano - 2 tsp maple syrup
- 400g rigatoni or other short,
fat pasta shape - 1 medium white onion,
peeled and finely sliced - A pinch of chilli flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tin of plum tomatoes
- 50ml vodka
- ½ tsp saffron threads,
soaked in 3 tbsp boiling water
for at least 15 min - 50ml double cream or butter
- A handful of grated parmesan
01 Heat the oven to 180C
(200C non-fan) and toss the
almonds into a small roasting
tray. Coat with a wisp of olive
oil, the black pepper, herbs,
maple syrup and a good pinch
of sea salt, and roast in the
oven for 8-10 min, until crispy
and fragrant. Roughly chop
and put in a bowl for later.
02 Meanwhile, bring a pan of
salted water to the boil and
cook your pasta until just al
dente (a couple of minutes
less than it says on the packet).
03 To make your sauce, heat
3 tbsp olive oil over a medium
heat and add the onion, chilli
flakes and a big pinch of sea
salt. Season well with black
42 • The Sunday Times Magazine